War Never Dies
by Reiji Neko Mitsukai
Summary: One letter sends the Gundam Pilots' lives for a twist as they are called back into action against a rising threat.
1. One letter changes everything...

War Never Dies  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any of the original Gundam Wing characters. I do, however, own Eya Musc and Yasha Usani.  
  
Author's Note: This fic introduces Yasha Usani.  
  
* * * *  
  
Quatre Rebarba Winner shut his apartment door behind him as he entered. He had just got back from work and dropped Eya off at her apartment down the hall. He was looking forward to seeing her again. After that night at the park, they just seemed to be getting closer and closer each passing day.  
  
He walked into his room and tossed his coat onto his bed. It had been a rather boring day at work, he hardly moved at all, so he didn't really need a shower. He went to the kitchen and got himself a cup of coffee. Unbuttoning the very top button of his shirt, he walked into his living room, turned on the TV, and changed the channel to the news. He listened as he sat down on the couch.  
  
" . Their victory will help dramatically in their overall game points." The reporter shuffled his papers. Quatre got up and walked over to his dining room table and picked up his mail. He shifted through the five pieces of mail. The first one was a bill. The second one was a bill. The third one was a bill, as was the forth. The fifth, though, had no return address. It was simply marked 'First Class- Top Priority'. Curious, he opened the letter. Inside was a single sheet of paper that said:  
  
Dear Mr. Winner, A few years ago, an organization by name of OZ terrorized Earth and the colonies. You and four other young men were chosen to fight in mobile suits, known as Gundams, to defeat the OZ threat. You and the other four pilots succeeded in your mission and saved us from OZ. A week ago, an OZ Mobile suit, known as a "Leo", was found orbiting earth carrying a simple message: "We want war.".  
  
You proved during the first OZ attack that your piloting skills are valuable. We are aware that your Gudam, code named "Sandrock", has been destroyed. The following address will lead you to your replacements.  
  
There was an address at the bottom of the page. The letter ended there.  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: Hehe, surprised? Just wait, it gets better. 


	2. Confession

Disclaimer: I only own Eya Musc and Yasha Usani.  
  
Author's note: Here's the second chapter. I hope you like it.  
  
* * * *  
  
An hour later, Quatre talked on the phone, pacing as he held the conversation. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were deep with worry as he talked with his old friend.  
  
"I know no one's supposed to know it Rasid, but, I love her, and she will notice if I'm gone for a week in space." He stopped pacing for a moment, wrapped the phone cord around his finger, unwrapped it, and then continued pacing. "I read it just an hour ago. I called the other pilots and they got the same letter. It said they had replacement gundams waiting for us. I know no gundam could replace Sandrock, but I still think I should try and help the other pilots." He stopped and listened to Rasid on the other line as he looked out the window. Then he continued to pace. "I just don't know if I should bring her with. I've been keeping this from her, but I'm afraid that if I do finally tell her she'll get mad at me." Finally, he stopped pacing and relaxed. A small smile took over his features. "Thank you Rasid. I knew I could count on you. Goodbye."  
  
His smile faded as he hung up the phone. He leaned against the wall, deep in thought. Why was OZ back? More importantly, who was leading them? First was Treize Kushrenada, then Marimaia, who else could there be?  
  
His thoughts were disrupted by the phone ringing. Quatre reached over and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"  
  
It was Duo. "Hey Quatre!  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Me and the rest of they guys are leaving, do you want to ride along with me?"  
  
"No thanks. I'll drive myself." Quatre paused, and took a deep breath. "I'm taking Eya with me."  
  
"WHAT??"  
  
Quatre said nothing.  
  
"Are you crazy?? Nobody's supposed to know that we're gundam pilots! And you're taking Eya with you??"  
  
"I've kept this secret from her for too long. If I were in space for a week, don't you think she would get at least a little bit worried?"  
  
Duo paused. "Good point."  
  
Quatre changed to a lighter tone. "Besides, it would be a good chance to Eya to meet the guys."  
  
"I guess it would. Look, I'd better get going. I want to see what new gundam I have. I'll see you later!"  
  
"Yea, goodbye."  
  
Quatre hung up the phone, but kept his hand on the receiver as he gathered up courage for what he was about to do next.  
  
Now the hard part, he thought to himself.  
  
He picked up the receiver and dialed Eya's number. She picked up after the second ring and answered with a cheery "Hello?"  
  
Quatre masked the worry in his voice. "Hi Eya!"  
  
"Hi Quatre!"  
  
"Eya, I'm going to go on a special trip right now. Do you want to go with me?"  
  
"Well, that depends. Will I be home before work on Monday?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then I'll go."  
  
"Great! I'll pick you up in a few minutes, okay?"  
  
"Okay, I'll be waiting."  
  
"See you in a few minutes, bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Quatre hung up the receiver, sweat dotting his forehead.  
  
~  
  
Quatre glanced at Eya in the passenger seat. She was wearing a light blue sweater and blue jeans. Her blonde hair hung loosely at her neck. Her blue eyes were looking out the window at the passing grasses.  
  
It took Quatre a few moments before he gathered enough courage to speak. "Eya?"  
  
Eya's head turned away from the window to look at him, a small smile on her face. "Yes Quatre?"  
  
Quatre kept his eyes on the road. "I need to talk to you about something."  
  
Eya said nothing.  
  
"I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I was afraid that things would be different between us if I did."  
  
She still continued to look at him, saying nothing.  
  
"Eya, I'm a gundam pilot. I fought OZ and Marimaia. I've fought in Mobile Suit wars. I helped kill OZ soldiers. Duo, Heero, Trowa, and Wufei are too."  
  
She finally spoke. "You and your friends saved the Earth and the Colonies?"  
  
Quatre looked almost ashamed. "Yes."  
  
Eya smiled a little. "And you were afraid to tell me because you were afraid I wouldn't love you anymore. I know how that goes. It's okay. Everyone has their own secrets. You and your friend's secret is safe with me."  
  
Quatre was about ready to cry from relief. He took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at her and smile. "Thank you. Thank you for understanding, Eya."  
  
~  
  
Quatre stopped the car at a road just in front of a storage complex. He checked the address and looked at the building. "This is the place."  
  
Eya looked confused. "This is it? But I thought Mobile Suits were bigger than this."  
  
Quatre just shrugged as he drove the car into the parking lot. There were eight other cars there already, one Quatre recognized as Duo's. In front of the door stood Heero, Trowa, Wufei, and Duo. Quatre found an empty parking space and shut off his car. They both got out of the car and approached the group together.  
  
Duo was the first one to notice them. "Hey Quatre! Hey Eya! Glad you could make it!" Duo said as he waved. The other pilots turned to see Quatre walk up with a blonde girl.  
  
Quatre smiled. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Eya. Eya, this is Heero, Trowa, and Wufei." He pointed out each of the pilots as he said their names.  
  
Eya greeted them with a shy "Hi."  
  
Trowa smiled and said, "Hello."  
  
Heero replied with a "Hn."  
  
Wufei said nothing.  
  
~  
  
It was a few minutes later a woman emerged from the doors.  
  
"Hello gentlemen."  
  
Sally Po looked around at the group of young men. She noticed Eya and gave her a suspicious look.  
  
"She's with me, Sally. This is Eya," said Quatre.  
  
Sally nodded and smiled. "Now if you all will follow me I will gladly show you to your replacement gundams." She turned and walked back into the doorway. The group followed her.  
  
The inside of the building was relatively empty. There were only a few boxes in one corner. Sally led them to a door. She opened the door to reveal an elevator. "This way."  
  
Heero was the first to step in, followed by Wufei, Trowa, and Duo, then Quatre and Eya. Sally stepped in after everyone else and pressed a button on the panel. There was a lurch as the elevator went down.  
  
"Just like old times, eh guys?"  
  
Sally looked at Duo and smiled. "I know the feeling. It seems like just yesterday I met Relena while Heero was recovering from two bullet wounds."  
  
After a few moments, the elevator came to a stop. Sally stepped in front of the closed doors and faced the gundam pilots. "Gentlemen,"  
  
The doors started to open.  
  
"Meet your new Gundams."  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: A rushed ending to this chapter, I know. Hey, It's 1:30 AM; can you really blame me? Anyway, there will be gundams the next chapter, along with a few surprises. 


	3. First Mission

Disclaimer: I own Eya Musc, Ron, Shenlong's repairer, and Yasha Usani. Fayla belongs to herself. That one girl with dark hair belongs to herself.

Author's note: Ok, I'm starting this chapter at 2:00 AM. Don't ask why, cause I don't know. You asked for this chapter, now here it is. Lots of surprises in this chapter.

They were big.

They were powerful.

But most of all, they were exactly how the pilots remembered them.

The five pilots and the blonde girl stood in silent awe at the sight of the gundams standing before them. Each one looked almost exactly like its predecessor.

Duo stood absolutely petrified in awe, and then a big grin came upon his face. He ran up to the foot of the gundam that looked like Deathsythe and hugged it.

"I LOVE THIS GUNDAM!"

Heero looked around the large room. Each gundam had a set of stairs leading to the cockpit. The stairs were connected by a long catwalk that intersected the stairways right after the steps ended. Sally stood near the steps to the replacement Deathsythe, watching Duo going on and on about how he will name the gundam "Deathsythe Jr." with an amused smile. Heero approached her, his face emotionless as it always had been.

"Major Po-"

"Just call me Sally." She turned to face him, still smiling at Duo's antics. "We don't like to think of ourselves as an military group. We prefer to be called a collective family."

"Sally," Heero continued. "What information do we have on OZ's new leader?"

Sally's smile faded. "Nothing, I'm afraid. We haven't had any contact with him. All we know is that his soldiers refer to him as Master Kushrenada."

Just then Duo walked up to Sally, the big, happy grin still on his face.

Sally turned to him, a slightly amused look on her features. "Are you happy with your replacement?"

Duo just nodded, still grinning.

It was about this time he heard a noise coming from the stairs to his left. He turned his head just in time to see something come at him. There were two audible "Oof"s as it collided with him. Reflex made Duo close his eyes to protect his sensitive organs of sight.

When he opened his eyes again, he was looking into the green eyes of a girl. She had long red hair that was braided in the back. She had slid down the guardrails of the steps to his left and had run into him at the bottom. They now found each other in an embarrassing situation, as she had landed directly on top of him and they were now nose to nose.

"Hello," said Duo, his shocked mind unable to think of anything else to say.

The girl blushed. "Sorry." She got off of him and onto her feet, then helped Duo to his. She then turned to Sally and saluted.

"You know you don't have to do that," Sally reminded.

The girl just grinned, closing her eyes in a cute manner as she tipped her head slightly to one side. "I know!"

"So, what's the report?"

The girl smiled, opening her eyes. "Gundam 02 checks out A-OK!"

"Thank you, Fayla. Do you remember Duo?"

Fayla nodded, then turned to Duo. "Hi, I'm Fayla. I'll be repairing your gundam." She stuck her hand out.

Duo, still a little stunned from her landing, slowly shook her hand. "Um, Hi?"

Sally still had the amused smile. Both Duo and Fayla blushed.

Wufei slowly climbed the stairs to his new gundam. He looked at it closely. It was almost exactly the way he remembered. He walked up to the cockpit door and ran a hand along the smooth gundanium alloy. Memories of the past wars came to his mind, including Trieze Kushrenada at katana-point. Wufei looked to his right to see two more sets of stairs, the one closest to him had a Mobile Suit docked up to the staircase. He paused, then turned towards Sally and carefully leaned over the guardrail.

"Hey Sally, why is there another Mobile Suit over here?" he called down.

That got the attention of all the Gundam Pilots. Duo pulled his attention from Fayla. "No way! What is it? Is it a Gundam?"

Sally turned to Wufei. "It's a new mobile suit made from gundanium alloy that will be joining you on your missions. Its pilot and repairer are still working, but I'm sure they'd be glad to explain it when they're done."

The five original pilots glanced at each other, a mix of curiosity and worry in their eyes. Another Gundam pilot? What kind of impact would that put on the battles?

Trowa stood mystified as he looked up at the stairway leading to the new Gundam. He wanted to meet this new pilot. He started quietly up the steps, wondering who the new pilot was. Yes, he did think the extra firepower with the new Gundam would help, but he wasn't so sure about the idea of adding another to the group. It just seemed so unnatural for there to be six instead of five.

Trowa had reached the top of the stairs. He looked at the catwalk for any other traffic, saw there was none, then continued towards the new gundam, still walking silently. A figure came into sight. They appeared to be crouched over something, most likely the cockpit hatch. They had long blonde hair that reached their back. They stood up and backed away from the gundam to get a good look at their work, then wiped their forehead with a back of a gloved hand. Trowa stopped right behind the figure and peered over their right shoulder.

Next thing he knew, something grabbed his shoulders and flipped him forwards onto his back. He let out a small "Oof" as he hit the ground. Then he was looking up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were a pilot!"

He felt a hand on his shoulder that helped him sit up. It was this time he got a good look at the person. It was a girl. She appeared to be almost the same age as him. The bangs on the right side of her face almost completely covered her right eye. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. Her long blonde hair reached down to her back. She was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. Trowa could see the sincerity in her eyes as she apologized again.

"I'm really sorry. I should learn to look first-"

Trowa interrupted her with a faint smile. "Don't worry. I'm fine." She helped him to his feet and he faced her with a small smile. "My name is Trowa. Trowa Barton."

The girl smiled. "My name is Yasha Usani. It's nice to meet you," she said as she shook hands with him.

They let go of the other's hand. "I'm looking for the pilot of this gundam. Do you know where he is?"

Yasha smiled. "You're looking at her."

Trowa blinked. "You're the pilot?"

She nodded. "Yup. I know; you were expecting me to be a guy. It happens all the time."

"So you're the new pilot..." he drifted off as he thought, his gaze falling to the metallic tread of the catwalk. This was different. Not only was there a sixth Gundam pilot, but she was female. Would this cause difficulties when they had to stay at a safehouse? He knew it wouldn't cause much trouble with Quatre; from what Duo told him, their platinum blonde friend was head-over-heels in love with Eya. But the others he wondered about...

"Trowa?"

Yasha's voice snapped him out of his trance, and he brought his gaze upward to see Yasha's eyes looking up at him. "Nothing," he replied. "So, what's the name of your Gundam?"

Yasha turned and looked to her right at her Gundam. Trowa noticed something change in her eyes; a hint of sadness appeared in the blue depths.

"I named it Journey."

"Journey?..."

Her eyes closed, a weak smile appearing. She turned to face him, opening her eyes. It was like the sadness was never there. There was no trace of the emotion. "I know, it's a dumb name."

"I don't think it is," said Trowa, looking at Journey. It was almost completely black, except for the crown of the head, which was a golden color; the cockpit hatch, which was red, yellow, and black; and what almost looked like a scar though the left eye of the gundam, which was painted red.

"Thanks. I just finished the hatch. She should be locked, loaded, and ready to go," she said as she pulled the gloves off of her hands.

They both turned to walk back down the staircase. "Speaking of weapons, what weaponry does Journey have?"

They started walking down the steps. "Let me think for a moment." Yasha paused as she thought. "It has two blades that come from the arms, two Beam Sabers, two Vulcans, and two of what I like to call Heat Daggers."

Trowa listened to this with fascination. "Two blades and two Beam Sabers. It sounds like it's built for close combat."

Yasha nodded as they finally reached the floor, then she suddenly stopped and stared ahead.

Trowa noticed. "Yasha?"

She continued to stare ahead. "It's nothing." She suddenly gripped Trowa's left arm with her right hand. "Trowa, do you know who those people are?"

He looked ahead to see a platinum blonde Arabian and blonde girl. "Yes. That's the pilot of Sandrock, Quatre Rebarba Winner, and I guess that's his girlfriend Eya."

"Eya? Do you know her last name?" Her voice had filled with a sudden sense of urgency.

"I think it was Musc. Eya Musc." His one visible eyebrow lowered. What had gotten into her?

"Oh." The urgency disappeared and her grip was released. "Come on, I have to report to Sally, anyway."

Trowa was a little confused, but said nothing as they walked towards Sally.

"So this is what Sandrock looked like?" Eya asked Quatre in a quiet voice.

Quatre nodded, looking up at the Mobile Suit.

Movement caught the corner of Eya's eye. She turned her head slightly to see Trowa and a girl with long blonde hair walk by. She almost did a double take when she realized the girl was staring at her as they walked by. She could have sworn she saw the glint of recognition in the girl's eyes. What confused her even more was the fact that she felt like she knew that girl from somewhere.

"Eya?"

Quatre's soft voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned her head slightly to see Quatre looking at her, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Eya, are you okay?"

Eya nodded. "I'm fine."

A short silence prevailed between the two. Eya rested her head on Quatre's shoulder, then broke the silence.

"Quatre, I don't want you to get hurt during battle."

Quatre smiled as he looked at her, love filling his eyes. "Sandrock has never let me down before. I'll be fine."

Eya smiled faintly, then looked up at Sandrock. "I hope so."

A while later, the pilots had dispersed except for Heero, who was standing beside Sally. Sally turned to Heero. "So whatever happened to Zechs and Noin?"

Heero, who was still looking up at Wing Zero, didn't move. "Zechs and Lucriza were married last summer. They are now expecting in about four months."

Sally smiled at the good news. "Well, at least things are going alright for them."

Suddenly, the eyes of Deathsythe began to glow. Slowly it raised up, the platform below it lifting the gundam up. A hatch in the ceiling opened and Deathsythe disappeared above.

Sally calmly walked over to a screen and pressed a button. The screen turned on to view the cockpit of Deathsythe. In the pilot's seat sat Duo, a victorious and mirthful grin on his face. In his lap sat Fayla, with two arms around Duo's neck. A similar grin was on her face. It was obvious they were enjoying themselves.

"How's the test drive so far, Duo?" Sally asked.

"Like a dream!" he said as he piloted the gundam forward.

"See Sally? I told you he'd like it!" said Fayla.

Sally smiled, then her smile suddenly fell as she held the earpiece of the headset she was wearing, listening intently. After a few moments, she spoke.

"Affirmative." She turned to Duo and Fayla. "We have a situation. Duo, return to base ASAP and drop off Fayla. I'll give you further orders then."

"Roger that," said Duo, then shut off his communications.

Sally then turned to face the rest of the pilots. "Gundam Pilots, gather 'round, you got your first mission."

The remaining five pilots gathered around Sally. Quatre left Eya standing in front of Sandrock, assuring her that he'll be back. Trowa and Yasha joined in and stood beside Quatre. Wufei left Shenlong and stood beside Sally. Heero stood on the other side of Wufei.

Noting that all pilots were present, she continued. The screen behind her turned on and showed a picture of earth from space. It appeared to be slowly moving towards the planet. Suddenly an OZ Leo appeared then opened fire at the camera. The image turned to static. Sally turned off the screen. "This was a surveillance tape from a civilian transport craft. The tape is dated last week. The craft was destroyed just a few moments after confrontation. It's obvious they mean business. A large fleet of Mobile Dolls is currently above the atmosphere. They pose a very large threat. Your mission is to neutralize the threat. Since they're Mobile Dolls, you shouldn't have to worry about destroying soldiers as you do so. Your Gundams are ready to leave when you are."

Duo had come back, dropped of Fayla, then received new orders and left. The other pilots put on space suits and were settling into their new Gundams.

Heero silently ascended the stairs that lead to his Gundam. It was amazing how much it looked like Wing Zero. The detailing on the angelic wings was exactly as he remembered it. He was just about to open the cockpit door when it opened. A girl with dark eyes stepped out. Her black hair was held up by a red bandanna except for two strands that hung out of the front. She was wearing blue jeans and a gray tank top. At first, Heero was surprised, then his eyes narrowed.

"What were you doing in my Gundam?"

The girl turned to face him. She put her weight on her right foot and put her right hand on her hip. "Well, seeing as how I helped make Wing, I figure I have the right to be in it. Besides, I'm repairing it from now on."

"Not without me your not."

"Whatever you say, Heero."

Heero replied with a "Hn," then climbed inside Wing Zero and shut the cockpit door.

Trowa was approaching Heavyarms when a middle-aged man stepped out of the cockpit. He had soft amber eyes and dirty blonde hair that was almost slicked back. Smile lines etched his face. He wore a well-worn regular blue mechanic outfit with the name "Ron" sown in place of the nametag. He looked at Trowa and smiled kindly.

"Heavyarms is all ready to go, Trowa."

Trowa smiled faintly and nodded in return, then put on his helmet and climbed in, making a mental note to visit with Ron later. He seemed like a pleasant man.

Quatre couldn't help but to feel fifteen again, wearing a space suit and gazing at Sandrock. He found it hard to believe that he had ever used the self-destruction, it looked so familiar. He looked to his right, where Eya was standing beside him and looking at Sandrock. There was no fear of the mobile suit in front of her in her eyes. Instead, she was more afraid for Quatre's safety.

"Quatre," she said, turning to face him. "Promise me you'll be careful. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

Quatre smiled, his eyes reflecting the love he had for the young woman he now faced. He gently put both arms around her shoulders and held her close. "I promise I'll be careful. Take good care of yourself, and I'll see you when I get back."

With that, Quatre started up the steps that lead to the cockpit of his beloved Sandrock. Looking up at the mobile suit, he felt the familiar sense of companionship coming from the Gundam. He suddenly felt his apprehension disappear. He didn't need to worry about anything but his friends and himself. Sally would take care of Eya. And the Maganacs would be coming soon as well. He was sure he could trust them to watch over his beloved.

He finally walked up to Sandrock's cockpit hatch, which was left open. He walked in and sat himself down in the seat. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he began to franticly dig into his back pockets. "Ah ha....." he whispered as he pulled out the snapshot of Eya he had taken a few months ago, when they had taken a walk through the park on a sunny day. Finding the edging of the screen in front of him, he slid the picture into the crack and made sure it would stay there for the time being. It was only temporary until he could get a hold of some tape.

He smiled. There. Now he was ready.

Wufei approached his new Gundam, noticing the form standing near the open hatch. He took a second look, and he froze.

Master O.

He felt his blood run cold.

'_It can't be!_' he mentally told himself. '_He wouldn't be here! It's not possible!_'

After a moment, he gathered enough nerve to look closer. Upon closer inspection, he realized the man wasn't Master O as he had first thought. The man was tall and bald, but Latino, not Chinese.

Wufei began to walk again as he inwardly fumed. He couldn't believe he made such a mistake. He hoped no one else had noticed as well.

The man looked up as the young pilot neared. He greeted the teen with a small smile and brown eyes. Wufei nodded in response, then climbed into the cockpit and sat down, placing his helmet on his lap as he strapped himself in. The embarrassment of his earlier mistake was still burning in his mind as he shut the hatch.

Yasha stood in front of her Gundam, her right hand opening the hatch to the cockpit while her helmet was held in her left arm. She felt her stomach do flip-flops. She had been though all the training simulations, but this was going to be her first actual battle. And in space, where gravity had no say except when you get close to a planet. She was extremely nervous, but she tried her hardest not to show it. She needed to be strong for both the mission against OZ and for the mission of her own.

She climbed in and strapped herself in. The restraints were similar to the ones inside the other Gundams, except the shoulder straps didn't separate until about chest level, otherwise it would be rather uncomfortable for a female like her.

Once done, she let her head rest on the back of the seat as she sighed. Now all she could do was wait.

Sally walked towards Eya, who was still at the base of the stairs leading to Sandrock, as Wing Zero began to rise towards the ceiling, followed by Heavyarms, Sandrock, Shenlong, then Journey. Eya, with her right hand in a loose fist over her heart, mournfully watched Sandrock until it disappeared above. She apparently hadn't noticed Sally, as she jumped when a hand rested on her left shoulder. Her heart jumping into her throat, she quickly turned to see Sally giving her a reassuring smile.

"Quatre's a good pilot. He knows better than to get killed when he has someone waiting for him. If you're hungry, I could show you to the cafeteria," she offered.

"Well, I am a little hungry," she said quietly once her heart had dislodged itself from her throat.

Sally walked slowly towards an open doorway, and Eya followed. She felt so alone, being in a military base without anyone she knew. Quatre was the only other person she really got to know. But then again, she might make some friends here. One never knew.

But there was one thing she was sure of: she would wait for him so they could go home together. And if Quatre never comes home, well then neither would she.

Author's note: Next chapter is already done; I'll try to post it as soon as I can, hopefully right after I post this one.


	4. Death of Two Pilots?

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone that was ever on the show.

Author's note: Another chapter. Here you go.

The five Gundams stood grouped together in the inky blackness of space. It had only been a few days after they had left the underground base on earth; afterwards they drove their Gundams to an airport where they were allowed to use a large shipping spacecraft to get their Gundams out into space.

Heero's face appeared on all their screens, his face visible through the visor of his helmet. "Further ahead should be the wreckage of the civilian transport. The Dolls are most likely hiding behind them. Wufei, Yasha, and Quatre will draw them out into the open where Trowa and myself will pick them off as they come."

"Right," said Quatre, nodding once.

"We're ready," affirmed Wufei.

"Let's move out." The wings of Wing Zero opened as the boosters activated, lifting the Gundam upwards as its pilot moved it forwards. The others followed, activating their weapons as they moved.

It wasn't long before the wreckage came into view. Twisted heaps of metal floated in space, offering perfect coverage from enemy fire

"Wufei, go right. Yasha, go left. Quatre, you go in from above."

The Gundam that had been dubbed Shenlong moved to the right of the wreckage, while Journey moved to the left and Sandrock moved above to drop down behind it. A few moments passed before the three faces appeared on their screens looking alert but confused.

"Nothing's here," reported the Chinese pilot, looking slightly agitated.

"There's no sign of them," said Quatre, looking at his surroundings like he was waiting for something to pop out at them.

"Something doesn't feel right." The Gundam Heavyarms' guns raised slightly. "They might have known we were coming."

Wing Zero moved closer to the wreckage. "Keep your eyes open. They might be-"

Suddenly, all five of the screens began to beep as an indicator flashed on the upper part of their screens. All five looked up to see a dozen Leos; their weapons leveled at the three Gundams behind the wreckage.

"They're here!" cried Quatre.

"Look out!" shouted Yasha as the lead Mobile Suit fired.

The three Gundams scattered, going up and over the wreckage to use it as cover. The other two moved beside them, opening fire on the opposing Mobile Suits. "Aim for the weapons! Just disable the Suits; don't kill the pilots!" reminded Heero, tightly gripping the controls as the ZERO system buzzed in front of him. The intense look of concentration of battle took over his features, making him look determined and fierce.

The Leos swerved and weaved through the enemy fire, eventually being able to go around the wreckage to meet the Gundams head on. The first one came around from the left, quickly appearing and taking aim at Wing Zero. In an instant Quatre had used one heat blade to server the hands of the Mobile Suit, rendering it useless.

More and more Leos were advancing past the barrier of twisted metal, and the Gundams had to switch to close combat weapons. Quatre was already putting Sandrock's heat blades to good use, removing the hands of several Mobile Suits. Yasha had pulled out both of Journey's daggers, while Wufei launched Shenlong's dragon fang left and right, crushing the enemy's machine guns each time. Heavyarms continued to fire, as Wing Zero brandished it's beam saber and disabled the weapons of the opposing Mobile Suits.

"Reinforcements!" alerted the pilot of Sandrock as his screen flashed a warning of an approaching enemy. "A fleet of Aries!"

Sure enough, Aries were swarming in from the same direction the Leos had, chain gun bullets flying towards their intended targets.

Then all of a sudden, a male voice came over their speakers sounding exuberant and ready for action.

"THE CAVELRY HAS ARRIVED!"

With a flash of green, the arms of a Leo were removed from the rest of the Suit.

"Duo!"

Another voice came over their speakers, this one female. "Men. Always have to make an entrance."

Two faces appeared on the screens of the Gundams: one of Sally back on earth and the other of a female in a Mobile Suit. She clearly looked Chinese.

"This is Kivi Mikora. She'll be joining you on your missions."

"Another one?" asked Trowa, surprised.

"One you just conveniently FORGOT to mention?!" stressed Wufei as Shenlong rocked with a hit from an Aries.

"Don't worry; you'll get used to her eventually."

Kivi rolled her eyes before cutting the contact, her image disappearing from the screens. Sally reached up to the side of the screen and her image disappeared as well.

The red and black Gundam then appeared, charging forward to greet the incoming Aries with beam saber in hand.

It was the night of the day the five pilots had left. Most of the people in the underground base had gone to bed, while others- the night owls of the base- stayed in the cafeteria and played cards with their friends.

Eya had gone to bed fairly early, finding an empty bunk in the women's bunker room. She completely agreed with Sally when she said it was too dangerous for Eya to go home since she was associated with the pilots and had seen the base. She was grateful to Sally for letting her stay at the base.

As it was, however, her dreams wouldn't let her sleep peacefully; at a military base or otherwise.

-Eya's dream-

The wreckage of the five Gundams were still smoking as they drifted out into space. Each of the pilots had been killed by their own Gundams one way or another. Inside Wing Zero, the prone form of the young man once known as Heero Yuy leaned forwards limply in his seat, hands still on the controls, the two wires that had electrocuted him hanging from the ceiling and resting on his back.

Trowa Barton, still inside the cockpit of what remained of Heavyarms, was pinned to his seat by the large piece of Gundanium Alloy that had crushed his ribcage and all the organs therein. His lower jaw was dropped, and his eyes were wide and shocked.

The cockpit of Journey had remained more or less intact, save the bar that had wedged itself across the small area. Its pilot was still in the seat, the bar close enough to her neck to block off her windpipe and strangle her. She sat completely limp, her eyes closed and her face blue from lack of oxygen.

Inside the ruins of Shenlong, the young man Wufei Chang sat stiffly in his seat, hands still tightly gripping the controls. His chin rested on his chest and his eyes were closed, a sharp piece of Gundanium Alloy wedged into the base of his skull. It had struck with such force it separated his vertebrae, severing his spinal cord and destroying the line in which his brain told his heart to beat and his lungs to breathe.

And Quatre; Eya's own dear, sweet Quatre; sat hunched over with his eyes closed and hands on the large piece of his screen that had broken off, running through his chest and into the seat behind him. Trapped between the screen and Quatre's flesh was the picture of Eya, the lower half stained in his blood.

-End Dream-

Eya woke up suddenly, her breathing fast and forced. Quickly sitting up, she stared at the blankets as her vision went from hazy to clear. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness of the room, but soon she was able to lift her head and observe her surroundings.

Bunk beds stacked up three lined the walls. She herself had gotten the top bunk in the back corner of the room. Nearly all the bunks were full with women quietly sleeping- others not so quietly- appearing as odd bulges in the blankets. She could make out the faces of the women that slept on their sides facing her or on their backs.

She shuddered. The dream had seemed so real; she had actually begun to believe it was true just before she woke up.

The faint sound of laughter reached her ears and her head turned to look at the closed door. Light escaped into the room through the little crack under the door, thus allowing her to see the sleeping forms. Intrigued, she slowly pulled back the blankets from over her. She was still wearing her light blue sweater and blue jeans; Sally said they would go back to her apartment in the morning to get some of her things since it would be a while before she could go home. She tightly grasped the rungs of the ladder connecting the three bunks and climbed down to the floor, her socks keeping her from feeling the full effect of the cold floor. She was sure to keep her steps quiet so she didn't wake the other sleepers, carefully opening the door just wide enough for her to slip through and quietly shut the door behind her.

The hallway was blindingly bright compared to the bunker. She once again had to pause to let her eyes to adapt before she continued her way down the hall, passing several closed doors before turning a corner and down the rest of the hallway that emptied out right next to the cafeteria. Sneaking around the corner, she peeked around the doorway to see what was going on.

Several people sat at one of the round tables in the middle of the room. One of them she identified as Sally, still in her uniform from earlier that day. The others included a female with red hair tied back in a braid and green eyes; another young woman with black hair held back in a red bandanna and dark eyes; an older looking man with hair a shade of dirty blonde and amber eyes; a tall, bald man with his back to her; and another woman with blonde hair down to her back and pulled into a tight ponytail, with green eyes. Each person had a pile of small, red, plastic poker chips in front of them with a smaller pile in the middle of the table. Sally was finishing dealing the cards; each person had two cards, one face up and the other facedown. Each person looked at their cards.

"Hit," said the young woman with red hair. Sally passed her another card facedown and she picked it up and looked at it. "I'll stand," she said, the edges of her mouth quirking upwards.

"Hit," said the black haired female. Sally passed her a card and she looked at it, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Hit." She looked at her next card and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I fold; I'm over." She placed all her cards face up on the table.

"I'll stand," said the older man, his face lacking any expression.

"Hit." The man with his back to Eya looked at his card and shook his head. "I fold."

The blonde woman tapped the table. "I'll hit." After looking at the card, she put all her cards facedown on the table. "I'll stand."

Sally dealt herself a card and looked at it, making a face. "Good thing you stood, Cass. I fold." She laid her cards face up on the table.

The blonde woman, Cass, flipped over her cards. "Sixteen."

Everyone looked at the man who didn't fold. He nodded to the redhead. "Go ahead, Fayla."

Fayla smirked and flipped her cards. "Nineteen."

The man didn't change the look on his face. He just flipped over his cards. "Twenty."

The smirk suddenly dropped on Fayla's face, being replaced by a look of shock. "What? But- but I- I was sure!" Any attempt to look remotely upset was failed as a grin appeared on her face. She shook a finger at him. "Darn you and that poker face of yours, Ron!"

Everyone laughed as Ron's face cracked into a grin as he collected the pile of poker chips in the middle. "Just because you're sure doesn't mean you're right."

Eya quietly backed away from the doorway, being sure to not let herself be seen by the group. She crept back into the hallway and passed the cafeteria, walking quietly to the hangar where the Gundams were once held. She stopped in the middle of the vast room, looking at the port that had, at one time earlier that day, held Sandrock. She lightly rubbed her arms as a sudden chill ran down her back.

It was true. Everyone that she had gotten to know before she met Quatre was dead; and they were all her fault. She didn't want it to happen; it was the last thing she wanted to happen; but it happened just the same. She always kept to herself when it came to meeting others; at least, until she met Quatre. He was the nicest person she had ever met; he was kind, sweet, thoughtful, and caring- how could she not want to know him? She knew she shouldn't have, but she just couldn't help herself. She was surprised he had lasted this long; the others didn't last nearly as long as he was. But now... Now he was off fighting, and she felt for sure this would be it. And it would be her fault, just like the rest of them.

She lowered her head as the childish voices came to her mind, reminding her of how she had gotten her reputation.

'_She's the Grim Reaper; she kills everyone she meets!_'

'_Look out! She'll get you!_'

'_Don't get near her; she's the Grim Reaper._'

'_I looked in the obituary in the newspaper today; they must've all been friends of the Grim Reaper._'

'_No wonder nobody adopts her; they don't want to die._'

She forced back a tear that was threatening to emerge. '_I've done it now... I've gotten too close to him... Now he and his friends are going to die... and it'll be all my fault..._'

There was very little time for thought in the battle up in space. Most actions were done on instinct. There were still a lot of remaining active Aries; they were faster than the Leos and could avoid attacks better. The damaged Mobile suits that had lost their hands or all their weapons had begun to leave. Not one soldier had been killed.

An Aries had been lucky enough to avoid being disabled. Now he took a few shots at Journey, who had been removing the hands of another Aries with her daggers. The blasts hit her back, causing her to lurch forward towards earth. The attacking Aries was suddenly put out of commission with a hail of bullets from Heavyarms, who was quite a ways off.

Yasha grimaced as she was suddenly pushed forward, her screen flashing brightly. She began to type furiously at a keyboard, trying to find what had been damaged. A small diagram of Journey appeared on her screen, the section just above her boosters flashing. She tried to use her boosters, but they just sputtered before going out completely.

"I'm hit!" she yelled, turning on her communications. "There's no power to my boosters; I'm a sitting duck!"

Heero's face appeared on her screen. "Reroute the power to the secondary line. I'll cover you."

Yasha continued to type franticly as Wing Zero made it's way to her. Just then, three Aries crowded around him, firing at the enemy. A handless Leo, whose pilot had refused to be out of commission, charged his boosters and took off towards Journey, going full speed.

Yasha cried out as her Gundam was hit, her body jerking forward in her seat. She quickly straitened to find herself moving towards the earth at a fast speed, Shenlong right in front of her. "Wufei! Move!"

The 05 pilot had very little time to react. By the time he had realized what was going on, he was slammed from behind and pushed towards earth, the Leo's boosters forcing them towards the planet. Soon gravity took over, pulling the three Mobile Suits to the ground below.

The voice of the pilot of the Leo came over their speakers, sounding almost insane as he laughed. "Let's see you Gundam Pilots get out of this one!"

Wufei immediately activated his boosters in an attempt to slow them down. However, with the weight of the two Mobile Suits added to his own, it was useless. Their speed was reduced just enough to keep their Gundams from being completely destroyed when they landed; there was no telling if the Leo would make it, or if it's pilot would survive.

Up in space, Deathscythe had just disabled the weapons of another Aries when Wufei's face appeared on his screen. His eyes were wide and tense, and the American could hear the sound of the alarms in Shenlong. Duo immediately became alarmed, knowing that something was definitely wrong. His back was to where the incident had occurred, and thus had no knowledge of it. His brow furrowed and his blue eyes darkened. "Wufei?"

"We're going down! Yasha's with me; we're both being dragged down to earth by a Leo! My booster's aren't enough to slow us all down! I just-" The communication was abruptly cut off; black and white static replacing the image of Wufei and the sounds of the alarms.

Duo's eyes shot wide open in shock and he gasped. "WUFEI!"

It was the second night after the pilots had left. Eya had once again found herself waking up in the middle of the night and unable to sleep. Once again she quietly crept out of the room, this time in light green sweatpants and T-shirt. The hallways were still bright and empty; the doors were still closed. Most of them, she learned, were meeting rooms. She moved on and stood at the doorway to the cafeteria, where the exact same group was playing cards, just like the night before. They looked like they were having fun; Fayla had won the last round and was grinning as she pulled in the chips in the middle of the table. Eya wanted to join them, but she couldn't just forget what happened each time she made a friend.

She suddenly sneezed. She instinctively covered her face with her hands. The talking in the cafeteria suddenly stopped, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Eya!"

She let her hands fall to her sides and looked into the cafeteria. Sally was leaning to the side in her seat, a small smile on her face as she looked at the blonde girl in the doorway.

"What are you doing up so late?"

She shyly stepped into the cafeteria, her hands laced behind her back and she stared at the floor as she shrugged slightly. "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, I guess."

"If that's the case, you could join us in our late-night Blackjack game. It takes the stress off of our day."

She looked up. "I'm not very good," she said as she shrugged again.

The young woman named Fayla stood up. "That's okay, not a lot of us are either. We just play to relax while everyone else sleeps." She moved her chair closer to the girl with black hair and took a chair from a nearby table, moving it between her and Sally.

"Well, I guess I could try, at least." She walked to the empty chair and sat down. Sally began to deal out the cards. "What time is it, anyway?"

Sally checked her watch. "Oh, about midnight." She continued to deal out the cards, giving each person two cards, one face up and another facedown. "I'll introduce you to our players. You already know me." She nodded towards the red head. "She's Fayla; she repairs Deathscythe; Duo Maxwell's Gundam."

Fayla grinned. "Hi!"

"Then we've got Zara; she helped build Wing Zero. She repairs it too, but, well, knowing Heero..."

Zara snorted, a half smile appearing on her face. . "He doesn't want anyone even touching his Gundam without him there and watching your every move."

"And then we've got Ron; he fixes Heavyarms."

He smiled kindly and nodded. "Hello." Eya smiled weakly back.

"Then we've got Peter, or Pete for short; he fixes Shenlong."

The bald man, who Eya saw was Latino, smiled and nodded.

"Then there's Cassandra, but we usually call her Cass. She fixes Quatre's Gundam."

The blonde woman, who still had her hair up into a ponytail, smiled at the blonde girl. "Sally's told me a bit about you. You're a lucky girl to have Quatre; he sounds like a nice young man."

"Thanks," said Eya, her face turning a light shade of pink as a slightly embarrassed smile came to her face.

"Right!" announced Fayla, picking up her cards. "Now that introductions are over with, let's get her some chips and start playing!"

A pile of ten poker chips was placed in front of her and she carefully picked up her cards. "I'll stand."

"Hit," said Fayla, glancing at her cards before looking up at the other card players. "So anyway, I still think Duo's the guy. I mean, the hair and the eyes; they just point right to it."

Zara rolled her eyes. She's heard this story every night since the pilots had shown up.

Sally leaned towards Eya in her chair, talking quietly. "She thinks Duo is some kid she used to know when she was living in the streets of L2."

"He is!" exclaimed Fayla, pretending to look hurt. "I'm almost sure he is!" She turned to look at Eya. "You see, when I was about five or six- it was so long ago it's hard to remember- I was with a group of orphans who were all watched over by a boy named Solo. He was like a big brother to us younger ones. But there was one little boy that I liked the most; he had no name, much like the rest of us, but he had long brown hair and big blue eyes. He liked me too; he was my best friend, he called me 'shortstuff' because I wasn't as tall as him; but Solo was like a big brother to him. So when Solo got sick with a virus that was going around, Duo-"

"The kid," Zara interrupted sternly. "Hit."

Fayla rolled her eyes. "He left to steal the antidote for him. I followed him, but I, well..." she paused, her face turning pink from embarrassment. "I, uh... got caught. I was sent to the orphanage and later got adopted."

"So, you think Duo was your best friend from L2?" asked Eya, making sure she understood.

Fayla nodded

"I'll stand," said Zara.

"Well, he certainly does match the description."

Fayla nodded again. "Yup. Long brown hair and big blue eyes. It's got to be him. I just know it!" She smiled broadly as she brought her cards to her chest, holding them over her heart as she sighed. "I hope he just remembers me; it's been so long..."

"That's IF it's him," said Zara sternly, pointing her cards at the red head. "You're not entirely sure until you talk to him."

"Oh, I'll talk to him," Fayla said as she nodded. "The next chance I get; I'll talk to him."

Author's note: Well, here's this one. I don't like the battle scenes for this one though; it just bugs me. They just don't seem very good to me. Anyways; next chapter coming as soon as I get reviews.


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